


And A Spare

by TrishaCollins



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII
Genre: F/M, Filling ShinRa pockets!, That one where they are teen parents, The turks come with their own warning, War, What is it good for?, Zack and Aerith are both 17 at the start of the fic, casual murder discussions in public
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-18
Updated: 2020-04-24
Packaged: 2021-02-23 10:43:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 7,734
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23710243
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TrishaCollins/pseuds/TrishaCollins
Summary: The planet makes the choices in their relationship, everyone else is just along for the ride.
Relationships: Zack Fair/Aerith Gainsborough
Comments: 16
Kudos: 35





	1. Chapter 1

He was sore, which was really the first thing that made its way past the truly blissfully exhausted sleep he had been enjoying. The next thing was that his PHS was ringing, specifically the soft humming ringtone he has reserved for Kunsel. 

He shifted, stomach muscles screaming like he’d just gotten out of drills. There was a sigh next to him, and a faint movement. Soft skin, floral scent. Aerith. 

Right. He had gotten back for leave and taken the makings for a picnic to kidnap his girlfriend from her day job. But it was a blur after that, an intense need had overtaken him, and he could only snatch vague memories of laughter and kisses and bodies moving.  
He made himself move, just a little bit, ignoring his body complaining. He had been at war for the past three months, he had been more tired than this. SOLDIER meant he healed fast. So why was he so…sore? 

Aerith made a soft noise, burrowing closer. They were in their spot in the attic – the place they had carved out for when they wanted privacy without the risk of her mother listening at the door. It was probably nicer than his apartment with all the stuff he had bought for it, and it had something his apartment didn’t. 

“Mmn cold.” Aerith muttered when he sat up. 

“Sorry, babe.” He yawned, sweeping an admiring gaze over his girlfriend. He was a lucky guy. He pulled the blanket up around her, pressing a kiss to the crown of her head. “Work.”

She sighed, but just nuzzled back into her blanket nest, just her eyes visable over the edge. He hadn’t meant to stay more than a few hours, so he was probably late for his briefing. But he couldn’t help but linger, drinking in the sight of her. He had missed her with a keenness he hadn’t expected, the newborn relationship to feel so…nice after he’d been gone. 

He started to get up, his knees didn’t want to support his weight – which was odd, his body…well. He had survived thirty-six hours of fighting with less muscle strain. He grunted, and managed to scoot to his pants, fishing out his PHS. 

He had 18 missed calls and an alarming 36 messages. Most of the calls were from Kunsel, but two were from Reno, and one was even more alarmingly from Sephiroth. 

Shit. 

He dialed Sephiroth back first, the phone picked up on the first ring. “Sir, I’m sorry. I sle-“

“It’s been three days, Fair. Where are you?” The clipped tone was an echo or some of the worse Wutai engagements, pinned down and cut off from the rest of the squad. 

“I-“ Three days? Three days? His brain dragged to a halt, he scrambled for anything. He couldn’t remember. That was more alarming than anything else. They had eaten together, and Aerith was still down and clearly unaware. “I-“ He swallowed hard. “I think we must have been drugged, sir. I’m in the slums. Sector 5, the old church. She had some too.” Panic clogged his throat, and her reached for his girlfriend, shaking her. “Aerith, Aerith.” 

She muttered at him, but didn’t wake. He pushed fingers under her chin, but the heart rate was normal. “We slept.”

“I’m coming.” Sephiroth sounded so calm, so steady. Which he wasn’t. He wasn’t even a little. What had it been? What had he been given? 

“Sir.” He croaked out, fumbling for his shirt, his clothes. He didn’t want to meet Sephiroth naked. He gave up on the boots and settled for bundling together what was left of their picnic – the cream collapsed, the cookies crumbs – but enough for testing. He bundled Aerith and shoved boots into his gear bag, and made his slow way down.

He hurt – back, hips, shoulders, thighs, even his cock felt raw. Which was not something he was looking forward to explaining to his CO.

Aeirth slept in his arms, barely moving, and he found himself obsessed with the rise and fall of her chest. If something was strong enough to knock him out for three days, to distort his memories to the point that he had thought it had only been a few hours. What could it do to her? What had it done to her? 

He was sitting on a pew barely moments later when Sephiroth swept in, trailed by Tseng and what looked like a medic. He started to stand but Sephiroth made a sharp gesture that made him stay where he was.  
“What was it?” Sephiroth asked, crouching down in an effortless way that did not at all midigate the fact that his CO was clearly upset. 

“I don’t know. I bought the food plate side. The desert seller, and then the wine from that shop near the train station.” 

Tseng was bending over Aerith, tugging the blanket away from her face and motioning the medic forward. 

The mousy woman looked a bit uneasy, but started unpacking her bag, unwinding Aerith’s arm from his bundle of her and taking a blood sample. 

He and Sephiroth both watched intently, and Aerith made a face in her sleep, eyes flicking beneath the lids. 

“SOLDIERs metabolize toxins faster.” The woman muttered, and stuck him with the needle. “Any other symptoms?” 

“I’m sore. Muscle ache. Everywhere.” He admitted, putting a thumb over the small spot of blood and holding it for a few seconds. 

She was already putting the blood samples into her portable unit. 

“Everywhere?” Tseng asked, tucking the blanket almost gently around his girlfriend. He knew they had history, but he had never seen the turk look worried before.  
“Back, shoulders, stomach, legs. Feels like when I was in basic, before the Mako.” He admitted, reaching out to brush a strand of hair out of her face.

“Hm. Did you have sex?” The woman asked bluntly.

“Yeah.” He could feel the color. 

“Well, she’s pregnant. I’m not seeing anything in your blood though. Just adrenalin. Might have been a materia. She should wake up soon, I’ll give her some fluids.”

The words were delivered so flatly, without any emotion, he almost thought he mishead her but Tseng made a noise in the back of his throat that was very nearly choking and Sephiroth’s eyes darted between them so quickly it was a wonder he didn’t go cross eyed. 

Tseng caught his composure first. “She’s pregnant. You’re sure?”

The medic blinked, pushed up her glasses, and nodded. “Yes, sir. She’s pregnant. Newly, so I am just seeing the hormone surge.” 

He sucked in a breath, finding himself leaning almost protectively over his girlfriend. She was terrified of ShinRa, terrified of them taking her away. He let them take her blood. Shit. 

“The signal is poor here.” Sephiroth mused. “I imagine that device is not connected to the central computer?”

The woman looked confused. “No, it isn’t.”

“Good.” Sephiroth’s hand moved, and there was a metal taste in the air a moment before the machine seemed to implode, melting to fragments before crumbling into dust. “We no longer require your assistance.” 

“Sir-“ She darted a glance at Tseng, but the turk just stared at her. 

“I trust that there will be no problems?” Sephiroth asked, voice only the slightest veneer of politeness. 

“I-“ She looked at him, and then at Tseng, and finally stood. 

Both men watched her go, the slight lean to Tseng’s posture indicating he was considering something.

“Do you think she will be a problem?” Sephiroth asked idly. 

“She’s new enough.” Tseng responded, which wasn’t an answer. “I am more concerned about…”

“Yes, I share that concern. He will be quite interested.” Sephiroth nodded. “Take care of her if it becomes a concern.”

“Mhm.” 

Aerith stirred, giving him a sleepy look. “Zack?” 

“Hey.” He tucked his hand against her cheek, leaning down to kiss her. “Don’t move around too much, you’re just wearing a blanket.”

She frowned, lifting her head, her eyes widening a bit when she saw their audience. “What-?”

“We slept for three days. I thought we were drugged. I sort of…uh.” Panicked. 

“He was being cautious. Thankfully it is unwarranted.” Tseng said mildly. “General, the pile of paperwork on my desk is not shrinking while we sit here.”

“Mhm.” Sephiroth stood, giving them a nod. “You have an hour, Fair, and then I need you in my office.” 

“Yes, sir.” He swallowed back the rush of tension, leaning down over his girlfriend. “Thank you.”

Sephiroth brushed the thanks out of the air with a flick of his fingers, heading to the door in sweeping strides. Tseng should have looked silly trying to keep pace with the much taller general, but he found an easy stride to keep up. 

Aerith squinted up at him. “Hey. You ok?” 

He nodded, swallowing hard. “They uh. They brought a medic with them. She took our blood.” He said it all in a rush. “She-they…You’re pregnant.” 

Aerith was very still, holding the blanket. “They took my blood?”

He guestured to the melted pile on the floor. “Sephiroth didn’t let her leave with it.” 

“Oh.” She sat up, hugging the blanket to her body. “Ok.”

He licked his lips, reaching for her hand.

She let him take it, but she was still very still, staring at the flowers. “A baby, huh?”

“Yeah.” He couldn’t decide how he felt it about it, it was still too new, too shocking, too unexpected. They’d been dating for only six months, and three of those he’d been deployed. 

Aerith bit her lip, tilting her head. “Sorry.”

“For what?” He breathed.

“I got you involved.” She sighed. 

He snorted. “Got me involved in what? Hey, look at me.” He caught her chin and lifted it, staring into her eyes. “Everything that’s you? I’m into it. Everything, Aers. I mean it. We’re here. You and me.” He lifted her hand up, kissing her knuckles. 

She laughed. “You don’t know it all yet.”

“Doesn’t matter. You gave this country boy a chance, and now he’s yours. For always.” He told her, firm. “You and me…and.” The baby. Would she want to keep it? “I-do you want?”

“I’ll have it.” She told him, gentle, sincere. “Just…it’s not…it’s hard, Zack. It will be hard. You and me…”

A relief that surprised him washed over him, he hadn’t wanted this, had he? “I’ll marry you.” He blurted out, which was not the sort of romantic proposal he had thought he would have made. “I’ll marry you, and I’ll support you. I will.”

She lifted a finger to his lip, probably saving him from some increasingly daunting promises. “Sh.” She leaned and pressed her forehead to his shoulder. “Just hold me.”

He could do that.


	2. Chapter 2

~*~  
The meeting was blessedly brief - he got the feeling that whatever his orders had been before that morning they had changed. He had a pile of paperwork to fill out - he knew Sephiroth had known for the same amount of time that he had but somehow the man had used the hour to pull everything into a quick turn, orderly and prepared.

Reno met him at the door. Somehow looking friendlier and less approving than he ever had ever looked before. "Boss says I am at your disposal. We're to get her married name on paperwork only."

"I haven't even talked to her mom yet." He groaned, lifting his free hand to his face.

"Ooooh. That is going to be a fun time. Can I watch?"

He snorted. "Pretty sure you are supposed to protect ShinRa assets."

"Your skinny ass? Ha. You're SOLDIER. Take care of yourself."

He rolled his eyes. "Asshole."

"Slut." Reno snickered. "Feel honored, usually I only help clean up the prezs messes." 

"Oh man. The life of a turk. Sounds fun." He squeezed the folder. "I don't know what i am doing."

"No shit. Well good thing i am here then." Reno took the folder out of his arm, flipping through. "He's through, the general. Good that he has your back."

"Suprised that he does." He admitted, exhaling slowly. "Right. Gotta- well. No. Jewelry store."

Reno glanced at him sideways. "You already road the chocobo. Now you want to get greens?"

He made a face. "She deserves it. A ring. I told her i would marry her and i didn't even have a ring."

Reno shrugged. "Your paycheck."

~*~

It took him longer than he wanted to admit to find a ring for Aerith. Most of the settings had materia chips in them - to drive up the price, Reno claimed- but he was looking for something just right for Aerith.

Just right was apparently a hard category to explain, but he found it finally. The setting was simple, low profile so it wouldn't catch when she was gardening. One pale almost clear stone, one yellow, set on etched flowers.

He didn't even blink at the price, and spent much less time on the box.

Reno was still shaking his head as they boarded the train. "She is going to slice you to pieces and feed you to the fish."

"I know. She never liked me." He sighed, leaning against the window. "Maybe Aers got somewhere with her."

"Yeah, grounded until she is thirty, probably. Elymra is very protective." Reno tapped the window. "Great meatloaf though."

"Do I want to ask?" 

"Sorry, man. That is above your sparkly paygrade." Reno grinned. "I know where all of the bodies are buried."

"Great well, you can add mine to the list now." He sighed.

"You love her? Or was it just a quick fix?" Reno asked, tracing a pattern on the window.

"I love her." He admitted. "There is something about her, I don't know how to explain it. She is amazing. The thought of spending the rest of my life with her doesn't scare me at all. It's just..." he closed his eyes.

"Just?" Reno prompted.

"I don't want to leave her a widow before she is eighteen. This damned war. Once my leave is up I will be right back on the front." He admitted, voice hushed.

"Yeah." Reno was equally quiet. "It's easy to throw your own life away." 

He grunted softly, squeezing the ring box in his pocket.

Elmyra was waiting for them, face pensive and lips pressed into a thin line. If Reno being there surprised her at all, she didn’t show it. “I told you to leave her alone.”

“Ma’-“

“No. You’re going right back there, right back to the front.” Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes were red, she had obviously been crying. “You chose your path, you had no right-no right.”

He glanced at the doorway, where Aerith was standing, face clearly unhappy. “I know. I made mistakes.”

“You’re tying her back to ShinRa!” Elmyra burst out, fingers twisting in her apron. “You’re pulling her back in, and you have no right. You chose your fate. Not hers.” 

“I know.” He felt like he had to stand there, to accept her anger. Because…well. He had, hadn’t he? He had chosen. He had chosen to be SOLDIER, he had signed on the dotted line and known he was signing his life away for heroics. He was choosing to bring Aerith into a world he might not return from. “I am going to do everything I can to keep her safe, Elmyra.”

“I forbade you from seeing her.”

He caught Aerith’s eye, and for a moment she looked uncertain, but she stepped forward, around her mother. “I told you, mama.” 

Elmyra looked away, down the hill to the pool of water, the clearest water he had seen in his entire life. How did it exist here, how?

“I’ll marry her.” He told Elmyra, finally. “I’d like your approval. But she’s entitled to survival benefits if…well.”

Elmyra made a soft, sobbing sound. “Widow benefits. And who will protect her and the-the baby once you are gone?” 

He was quiet, looking at Aerith. 

“Better you leave now, rather than draw it out.” Elmyra snapped, twisting her hands in the cloth of her apron until he was sure she would tear it.

“Mama.” Aerith’s voice was patient, calm, and she stepped forward and took his hand. “Let’s get married, Zack. I think that would be nice.”

Elmyra gave another soft, strained sob. 

He drew the ring box out and took the ring out, sliding it on her finger. She gave him a tired, sad smile, but there was a warmth in her eyes. “Pretty. I think it suits me.”

“Yeah. Took me a bit to find it.” He brushed his fingers over her knuckles. “Where do you want to do it?”

“Hmmm. Well, we probably shouldn’t make a big show of it. But it should be soon, shouldn’t it? You go back to the front in a few weeks.” Aerith smiled wanly. “Can we do it here? So all our friends can come?”

He imagined Sephiroth standing in Aerith’s garden, and felt a twitch of true humor ghost over him. “Yeah. I think that’d be good. You get your people, I get mine, and we meet here in…say….four days?”

“Hmmmm. I think that’s enough time.” She poked him on the chest. “But you bring the cake.”

“Yes ma’am.” He grinned, barely managing to overcome the strain. “I-“

She touched his lip, and shook her head gently. “It’s alright, Zack.” 

He really wasn’t worth anything next to her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to write a nice fluffy story and Zack got to thinking about mortality and I really don't approve of it. Reno is the worst wingman.


	3. Chapter 3

They didn’t have four days, as it turned out. They had twelve hours. Movement on the front had turned the situation into one that required Sephiroth – and now, his shadow. He hated that. Hated that in the absence of Angeal, it was him who filled that gap at Sephiroth’s shoulder.

But he couldn’t stay away, either, because the list of people Sephiroth trusted to watch his six was limited, most of them were dead.

So he married her, officially, in the corner of the train station moments before he shipped out. She wore a white dress that someone had found in a closet, pins visible. There was one picture, fast developed so he could slip it in his wallet and have it. Somehow, Tseng came through. Somehow, despite the short notice and the chaos, Tseng gave her travel paperwork and an ID with her face, but a different name. Aers Fair. 

His wife. 

They had moments, kissing, clinging and then he had to go. Gear bag slung over his shoulder with his sword, the scent of her clinging to his clothes. 

He carried that with him all the way back to the front lines, all the way through the months and months of dirt, grime, and fighting. 

There were one a few of them left, only a few First Class still able to take the field. Which meant that there were days when the only time he closed his eyes was for a few minutes in the corner, sword protecting him.

War had seemed like such a heroic thing when he was a kid, listening to the piped plea for more enlistments. 

It wasn’t. It was dirty, it was exhausting, there was never enough food to keep up with his metabolism, never enough time to do anything but choke down a few mouthfuls of rations. 

And then it stopped. One day he was fighting, killing, blowing up bases and trying to stay alive –and the next he was expected to show up at a treaty signing and try to ignore the glare that Gado’s daughter and the people of Wutai.

He knew Sephiroth wasn’t the only one tense, SOLDIER were demons, they had been created to defeat Wutai.

They had done well. There were only twenty left, SOLDIER first class. They had done well, but they had lost half at least. He knew them all by name. Knew even most of the Second class by name, even if Kunsel was the one who tried to fuss over everyone and tried to make sure they choked down their calorie limit. 

Roche glanced at him, raising an eyebrow. “What’s the general say?”

“We’re waiting for the president.” He muttered out of the side of his mouth. 

“Think any of the food will be safe to eat?” Weiss muttered, barely breathing. 

He liked the kid, really. Not that he could call Weiss at fifteen a freaking kid when he himself was only seventeen, but he liked Weiss. He reminded him a lot of Sephiroth, and not just because of the hair. He was an odd duck, prone to staring, prone to confusion when confronted with simple things. 

“We’ll test it on Tank.” Roche responded, lips barely moving. “Or Fair, Fair’s got an iron stomach.”

“Fair has a *baby* on the way.” Kunsel scolded. 

“I thought you were looking heavier than usual.” Roche smiled thinly. 

“Ha ha. Just for that, I’m suggesting you for guard duty.” He replied. 

“No, please, anything but that.” Roche rolled his eyes. “You better go rescue the general, he’s looking a bit peaky.”

He strode away from the men, sliding under Sephiroth’s guard like a shadow. The general glanced at him, a slight easing of tension in his face and shoulders indicating that he knew he was there. The politician he’d been speaking to – Mayor of Junon, maybe? – seemed entirely uncomfortable with his presence and quickly made his excuses. 

Which was sort of offensive, he had washed the worst of the grime and guts off his face. 

He nodded lightly to Sephiroth after the man was out of range, but still kept his voice low. “ETA?”

“Not updated. He’ll get here when he wants.” Sephiroth sighed, shaking his head slightly. 

“Right, of course. Well if we don’t feed the guys soon we’re going to lose them to the appatizer table.”

“He wants them present.” Sephiroth frowned. “See if you can send them off in pairs, get some food in them. Maybe a rest. It isn’t perfect.”

“None of us were made for this.” He circled his finger in the air, indicating the finely dressed elite and delegates milling around. 

Sephiroth snorted. “Is anyone? I think I prefer the trenches.” 

“At least you can stab the other person when things get hairy on the battlefield.” He grinned, clapping Sephiroth’s shoulder. “I’ll cycle them out and shuffle them around a bit, not like he knows the faces of the men who risked their lives for him.”

“Thank you, Zack.” Sephiroth looked just as tired as the rest. 

“I’ll bring you some ration paste. So you can suffer with the rest of us.” 

That startled a laugh out of his superior, and a thin smile. 

Goddess, the thought of going home…for good this time. Of Aerith – Aerith who had written him every week, whose most recent letter was folded in his breast pocket closest to his heart. His wife who he still hadn’t told his mother about.

It was almost over.


	4. Chapter 4

They entered Midgar at night, mostly to avoid the press, though there were still a few reporters loitering hopefully at the train station. His eyes were gritty from lack of sleep, and his mouth tasted horrible from the dust and grime of travel. He was working on five days without any sleep, herding some of the most dangerous – and most tired – people on the planet right now. Tempers were flaring and coping was a non existent thing, not to mention they were all basically working on reserve. Food wasn’t happening, at least not enough to support the firsts. Sure, the grunts might be fine – Cloud swore up and down that they were – but even the Thirds were struggling a bit. 

If one more reporter shoved a microphone into his face, he wasn’t going to be responsible for what he did with it. 

He could probably hit the top of ShinRa tower from here, if he put his shoulder into it. 

Something of that must have made itself apparent in his posture as he herded his men into Taxis and up lifts to their apartments.

“Zack!” A voice called out behind him. 

He started to tense, turning towards it, fingers curling around a sword that just wasn’t there. 

Some of the SOLDIERs turned, accessing the threat.

“Aers.” He breathed, stepping to meet her. It had been months, her stomach had rounded. She was absolutely the most beautiful thing he had ever seen in his entire life. 

She threw herself into his arms, lifting herself on her toes to support her weight. 

“You’re pregnant.” He muttered into her hair, arms encircling her waist, fingers clutching at the fabric of her dress. Soft against the rough tips of his fingers. 

She laughed and hit his shoulder with an open palm. “Silly, of course I am.” 

“Mhmmmm.” He agreed, inhaling the scent of her. The Turks must have let her know he was coming back tonight, that was the only explanation. 

She smelled fresh, and clean, the shape of her slightly different in his arms. 

“You look asleep on your feet, Zack.” Her voice was just as soft, just as sure. 

“I am. I need coffee, gotta get the men quartered before I can rest. Prez grabbed Seph the moment we landed, that creep of a scientist seemed a little bit too pushy.” 

“You need sleep.” There was a flash of concern in her eyes. “How many left to get quartered?”

“Uhhhh.” He’d lost track, plodding to put one foot in front of another. 

“Few enough that we can handle it, Commander Fair.” Tseng’s voice was smooth, practiced. “Take your wife and go home, sir. You have more than earned your rest.” 

He blinked at the Turk, and shook his head, though Tseng was already herding him across the platform. “They’re my men – Sephiroth-“

“Is likely resting, having made his report to the president. Go rest, your apartment has been prepared.” Tseng gave him a warning look, and Aerith pushed up under his shoulder, guiding him away. 

He wanted to be good, to stay, to make sure his men were taken care of and accounted for. He caught Weiss’ eyes across the train platform. 

The kid looked…tired. Terrified. Some combination of resignation and desperation. His hands were loose at his sides, empty. 

Something about that nagged at him. Something about the turks being here nagged at him. But he was so freaking tired and he couldn’t make that connection in his head. 

He let Aerith lead him away. 

~*~ 

Waking up in his bed, in his apartment, with his wife curled up next to him was like something out of a dream. She was still asleep, one hand curled up in his shirt, the other tucked against her cheek.

For awhile he just watched her sleep, unable to make himself wake her up. She was amazing, beautiful, like a dream he’d been having for months and months, carried through every letter she sent. 

He brushed fingertips over her cheek, tracing the fine line of her jaw, thumb tracing over the arch of her lips. They had fallen asleep almost as soon as they walked in the door, the smell of cleaner and the faint scent of flowers still present in his tiny plateside apartment. There were quarters to be had in the tower, but he had always preferred to keep his own space. 

“Hey, cutie.” She kissed his thumb. “Go on a date with me?”

“I’ll have to ask my wife.” He smiled fondly down at her.

“Your wife says yes, go on a date. The baby wants cheese.”

He snorted, hand dropping to briefly cradle her stomach. “Oh do they?”

“Mhm. Fried cheese would be best you know, very demanding. She also wants hm. Pickles.” Aerith told him loftily. “Those can be fried too.”

“She?” He asked, voice dropping a bit.

Aerith looked briefly guilty, biting her lip. “I’ll never give you a son.” 

“I couldn’t care less.” He kisses her forehead. “A girl? You’re sure?”

Aerith nodded, hand resting against his on her stomach. “I can hear her, sometimes.” She smiled. “She’s like me.”

He grinned, leaning to press his forehead to hers. “Amazing? I can’t wait to meet her properly.” 

Aerith sighed, tucking herself against him. “I’m glad you’re home.”

He gave her a squeeze. “I’ll have to go check on everyone after we have breakfast. Make sure they’re settled.”

“That’s what you get for going up in rank.” She teased, fond.

“Mhm. But it’s my job. Love you.”

She gave a happy little sigh. “I love you too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My general interaction with Dirge is cherry picking. I like the kids, I'll keep the kids. But the rest? Ehhh.


	5. Chapter 5

It took him six weeks to find the information, and another two to catch Tseng alone. On an elevator, predictably. He caught the door and saw the brief ripple of unhappiness under Tseng’s mask of neutrality. He handed the man the file folder, saw him crack it, peer at the contents, and sigh. “What do you want?”

“Weiss. He’s mine, where is he?” Sephiroth’s technically, but Sephiroth had left the handling of their missing SFC on his shoulder. 

“He has been reassigned.” Tseng intoned without inflection.

He knew his smile was wolfish. “Really? Reassigned to where? As his commander, I should have had oversight and I didn’t approve of any troop transfers. With Lazard missing, Sephiroth is head of SOLDIER, and I’m his SIC. It’s my job to coordinate leave and troop movements. He was assigned to guard duty three nights ago, this ‘reassignment’ has left us a man down and no warning or time to replace him. Which goes against code, and against the autonomy of SOLDIER as a branch of ShinRa.” 

Tseng looked at him, long and tired. “Do not chase this.”

“Too late. ShinRa might think they can jerk us around by our lapels, but SFC is down in numbers. It’d be a shame if any of that got out to the press.” He indicated the folder, quirking an eyebrow. “The kid, Tseng.” 

“I remember when you were a green puppy yapping at Angeal’s heels.” Tseng muttered. 

“And I remember when you had a boss. Older guy, greying about here.” He indicated his forehead. “Whatever happened to him?”

Tseng narrowed his eyes. “What do you want?”

“A nice round number of people, and a nice consistent track of where exactly they are.” The doors opened, and a secretary started to step in, darted her gaze between the two of them, and froze. “Don’t worry, I’m leaving. You can keep that, I have copies.” He waved airily at Tseng as he stepped off the lift, strolling down the hall towards Sephiroth’s office. 

Rattling the Turks sometimes paid off, and sometimes just resulted in life getting a little more difficult. But he was a war hero now, and a tiny bit harder to get rid of in the short term.   
“You looking that happy scares me.” Sephiroth observed from behind his desk.

“Could be I’m just floating from seeing Ares newest sonogram picture.” He pointed out, shuffling through the files of SSC on the edge of Seph’s desk. “Kunsel won’t advance.”

“I know.” Seph looked tired. “But I have to provide a list of people I think are capable. What about your cadets?”

He considered. “Cloud probably has the Mako tolerance, you know how Nibel kids are, but he’s young and I don’t want to toss him at the sharks yet.” Cloud was too pretty for him to trust near the upper elite, and he had the same look to him that Rufus had. All they needed was ShinRa deciding his son needed a body double – especially the president, hearing some of Reno’s stories about clean up. He wouldn’t touch Rufus – couldn’t risk damaging his heir – but a look alike? 

The thought made him shudder. 

Seph eyed him, but nodded slowly. “I have a few others who might be able to make the cut, but I would rather sane, stable candidates, not….” He gestured at the reject piles. “Mako enhances capacity, it doesn’t grow it. It also increases instability.” 

“I’m working on it. There’s something going on.” He told his CO, leaning against the desk. “Why do they want more Firsts when there isn’t a war on?”

“A ceasefire is just that, both sides could walk away from it at any time. How did it go?” 

“He still doesn’t like me. We’ll see.” He shrugged a shoulder, pretending disinterest. “You’re sure you didn’t see him?”

“I’m certain I didn’t, but he’s…rather eclectic with storage procedures.” Seph’s lips thinned. “I imagine there could be other places.”   
“Hm.” He put the folder in the reject pile. “So what’s our next assignment, boss?”

“Thankfully one that will let us wait a few months.” Sephiroth’s lips twitched. “A minor reactor malfunction."

“Why are they sending us?” He tilted his head. 

“They belive it has to do with our…past issue.” Sephiroth’s head tilted slightly towards one of the few pictures on the desk.

His heart sank. “The baby is due in six weeks.”

“I’ve delayed them until after she makes her appearance. They are very…..insistent that you and I attend to this matter personally.” 

He frowned. 

Sephiroth nodded. “Precisely what I thought. We will need to be cautious. How is your wife?”

“Angry that she’s chubby, apparently she drove Reno to distraction the entire time we were gone using him as a delivery service. Probably owe him a lot of gil.” He grinned. “You should stop by, have dinner some time. Her mom is up and down on the plate.”

“That sounds pleasant.”

“Eh. She still hates me, but she loves Aers and she’s excited about the baby.” He grinned. “We’re working it out.”


	6. Chapter 6

It was the little things, really, coming home to the apartment smelling like bread because Aerith had decided to bake, flour smeared on her cheek. The faint scent of the flowers she had coaxed into blooming on their balcony – a bright splash of color in the otherwise sterile plate – the way his arms fit around her as they swayed, dancing in the kitchen, her belly pressed against his stomach, their daughter’s butterfly kicks felt as they fluttered against him.

Something amazing. Something powerful. Something he loved more dearly than he had ever thought possible. 

He heard laughter, and lifted his head.

He was standing in a field, an endless rolling field of flowers, and there was a child standing before him, braiding flowers into a crown and singing softly. He caught something about “calamity” and “hiding” before she turned, smiling brilliantly at him, with Aerith’s green eyes shining beneath her dark hair. “Papa!”

His…? This was a dream. It had to be a dream. 

He started to move forward, but her happy smile morphed into something terrified. 

He looked down, around his feet the flowers were dying, oily slickness oozing from his feet. Thick, with the scent of blood reaching his nose, writhing like it was alive. 

The little girl made a soft noise, hands clasping over her mouth. “Papa!” 

“I-“ He woke with a start, Aerith warm in his arms, still deeply asleep. He untangled himself from his wife slowly, feet hitting the floor. He couldn’t hear anything, no matter how he strained. Just Aerith’s soft breathing, the normal drip from the bathroom sink. His feet when he finally opened his eyes were pale skin, no oily substance clinging to them. 

He took a long moment to center himself. Counting his breaths, and then Aerith’s heart beats, and only then did he let himself get up and prowl the tiny apartment, searching every corner of the house, every possible entry to his home. 

He heard Aerith wake up, heard the shifting in the bedroom as she got out of bed, but the light turning on in the kitchen still made him jump.

She gave him an adorably sleep rumpled look. “Zack?”

“Sorry. Just…nightmare.” He ran a shaky hand through his hair. “Hand to check the locks.”

“And the window?” She asked softly, padding across the floor to him.

“I-yeah.” Wutain soldiers had always been good at finding the smallest opening, at digging under battlements. “I just…needed to be sure.”

She took his hand and made a soft, concerned noise. “There’s nothing here, Zack. Just us.”

“Right.” He brought her hand to his lips, pressing kisses to her palm. “Hey.”

She still looked worried, but she echoed the smile. “Hey, Soldier.” 

He breathed deeply of her scent, nuzzling into her palm.

“Come back to bed?” She suggested, gentle. 

“Yeah. I will. Just. Need to check the door one more time, ok?” 

She watched him for a moment, but nodded her head. “Shut the lights off before you come back to bed?”

“I will.” He let her go reluctantly, watching her walk away. 

She was here, and their daughter wasn’t born yet, couldn’t speak, couldn’t look at him like he was a killer, a monster, come to bring destruction.

Couldn’t. Couldn’t. 

The old one is falling, falling from the sky,  
The darkness come to get you wherever you hide,

Couldn’t. 

They were safe. Everything that mattered to him. They were safe.

~*~

“You look like shit.” Cloud observed, not even looking offended when he stole the coffee off his tray.

“This stuff stunts your growth.” He told him, downing it in a few gulps.

“Better tell the brass.” Cloud deadpanned. “What is it?”

“Nothing, nothing. It’s fine. Need you and a few others for a mission, can you…?”

Cloud frowned, blue eyes shuttering for a moment while he considered. “Land?”

“Yeah. Subtle, if you can manage it.” He sat the mug down on Cloud’s tray. 

“Did you get a mako injection today? You’re jittery. Even before my coffee.” Cloud looked briefly concerned. 

“No. Not due for that for a few weeks. Just…rough night.” 

Cloud’s frowned deepened. “K. Is the General going? Because I don’t want to deal with the fan club if he is.”

He snorted and mussed up Cloud’s hair. “You used to be a member.”

“I grew out of it, some of them haven’t had enough exposure to know that he hates it.” Cloud ducked away. “The helmet does enough, please don’t help.”

“Yeah yeah, no. I’m CO, should be a brief run. Five, including us. So just need a couple guys. Pack for two days?” 

“Right. One soldier, four troopers. Mideel?” Cloud questioned. 

“I refuse to lose you to the Turks.” He responded. 

Cloud grinned. “I just have good ears, that’s all. I’ll find some guys. Don’t worry. Maybe go use the VR and blow off some steam?”

He waved the comment off, already heading out of the mess. 

He had someone else in mind to help blow off steam, and if Tseng didn’t have any updates…well.


	7. Chapter 7

“I would advise caution. Though I doubt you will exercise it.” Tseng said, mild. “Deep Ground is not for the faint of stomach.” 

He looked up from the file, head tilting slightly. “I think you just called me stupid.” 

“I will be more direct next time, so you’re certain.” Tseng deadpanned. “Are you certain?” 

“He’s SFC, he belongs with the rest of the unit.” He commented. “Besides, are you really going to let Hojo keep them?”

“Them?” Tseng retorted. 

“Weiss has a brother, mentioned a few times to Roche. He grew up with other children.” He looked up from the file. “The general made an interesting comment the other day that a hypothesis cannot be counted as science until it’s been replicated.”

Tseng sighed. “I still think there are safer ways to handle this.”

He closed the folder, patting the keycard and the ID as he stepped to the elevator door. “’Safer’ isn’t the SOLDIER way.”

“I really do not want to explain to your wife that you got yourself killed.” Tseng muttered, peering in the darkness of Deep Ground. 

It was lit almost entirely by mako. The glow of it made him remember the infusions, and the tanks. He made himself stroll forward, not pausing as he checked the room numbers.

He found Weiss in a cell, sitting against the wall, with his head tilted back, empty of expression.

It wasn’t like there was much to see. 

He rapped his fist on the barrier, swiping the badge that Tseng had handed over. “Hey, brat, leave time is over.”

Weiss jerked upright, rolling to his feet, eyes wide. “Sir?”

He tossed the badge at him, and the kid caught it on reflex, clutching it in his fingers. “ID for the tower, somehow it got messed up when we transferred back. Quarter key and stipend will be loaded on that, Cafeteria access. You’re on the SOLDIER meal plan.”

The kid was looking down at the badge, confused. “Sir? I- I was reassigned?” 

“No. Your CO has to sign off on any transfer. I didn’t, so you’re still assigned to me. Move out, kid.” He motioned out of the cell.

Tseng had his arms crossed, watching their interaction.

Weiss looked at him, and then at the badge, and then at Tseng. “Sir…you know my orders?”

“Commander Fair can be very persistent.” Tseng said, droll.

“Soldier is too short on staff to leave someone on this sort of recon.” He responded, letting himself glance around at the other cells.

The walls were glass, it was easy to see that they did not have research specimens in them. What they did have was children, the smallest of them barely a toddler, hands pressed to the glass, lip pouted out. 

Shit. 

Weiss knew it too, the way his eyes tracked beyond them, the tension in his shoulders. “I-“

He stepped forward, clasping his hand on Weiss’ shoulder. “Do a little, do a lot, but always do what you can.”

Weiss’ hand tightened around the badge. “Can-we’re…”

“No.” Tseng said, firm. “No.”

Weiss frowned. “Sir, if we’re looking for SOLDIER. There are SOLDIER all around us.”

“No.” Tseng repeated. “Fair, by the goddess.” 

“Really? Why don’t you introduce us?”

Tseng groaned behind him.


	8. Chapter 8

Aerith was sitting up in the bed, sheet pulled against her chest, gaze out the window. 

“Babe?” He reached out, touching her hip.

“Why is it that all the stories seem to end with “well at least they were in love”?” She asked quietly, fingers folding around his. 

“I don’t know. Guess a lot of story tellers are romantic?” He offered, kissing her fingers gently, one at a time. 

“But why is it romantic? A long time ago and far away they fought, they struggled, and in the end they were apart. But at least they loved each other, even if it was sad.” 

“Why such grim thoughts?” He asked quietly, fingers over her waist, tracing the fine pale skin. She would never be tan, his Aerith. She had never spent enough time in the sun for it to warm her skin, and now that she had the chance, she was his ghost pale girl. 

“I want a happier ending.” She whispered. “I want a life to be lived, not just a love to be had. Zack…”  
He kissed her hip. “Then we’ll make one. Once upon a time.” He whispered. “There was a girl who loved a boy, and a boy who loved a girl. Luckily, it was the same boy who loved the girl that loved the boy.” 

She shivered a little. “What do they do?”

“They make a little farm, they sell flowers, trip over kids. Dogs. She runs a clinic out of their house, and feeds the hungry no matter when they come.” He whispered along her hip, watching the prickles of goose flesh up her spine. “And they never heard of Shinra, and nobody ever bothers them except when they need help.”

She sighed, turning to look at him, something sad and lonely in her eyes. “Come back to me, Zack Fair.”

“Always.” He promiced her, easy, airy. “Always to you.” 

“Come back to us.” She whispered again.

“Hey.” Cloud’s voice said suddenly, where it absolutely shouldn’t be. 

He startled awake in the back of the truck, blinking a few times. “Uh-wha.”

Cloud stared at him, clearly uncertain. “I know having a new baby at home is exhausting. But we were getting a mission briefing.” 

“Right.” Iris had been born two days before he was sent out again, tiny, dark haired, perfect. With tiny fingers and bright eyes he knew would be her mothers. He had stayed awake to drink in every moment he could with her. 

But the mission had waited for his daughter to be born, and now she was. So there was nothing else to keep him, greedy shinra slum lords. 

He sat up slowly, rubbing his face. “Miss anything important?” 

“No. Just a warning about how the Mountains can be a bit tricky for service.” Cloud shrugged, not seeming impressed. 

“Excited to go home?” He asked idly. 

“No. But they didn’t ask that, I’m a local. So I got sent.” Cloud sighed, leaning against the wall. “Sephiroth is not impressed with the briefing so far.” 

“He never is. They never give him the right sort of information.” He rolled his eyes. “He wants stats, they mumble about terrain. It’s a mess. Anyway, glad you are with us.”

Cloud grunted, leaning back against the wall. “you still think it’s a trap?” 

“I am beginning to think that everything to do with Hojo is a trap. The trick is not to spring it.” He caught Seph’s eyes across the transport. 

“So what’s the real plan?” Cloud asked softly, twisting his fingers in his uniform jacket.

“Flexiable. We’ll see what’s waiting for us. I got you, though.” His shadow, like he was Sephiroth’s. 

He needed Cloud like he needed his sword, like he needed Aerith. 

Weird, he had always figured it would be Kunsel that filled that spot, a skinny fifteen year old shouldn’t have been capable of it. 

But know, he thought of Cloud, Cloud was his fallback guy. 

“You know he’s mad at you. The Professor? So if it’s a trap, he’s probably aim for you.” Cloud said softly. 

“Yeah.” He thought of Weiss, and his brother Nero, and that girl Rosso. All of whom had SFC levels of Mako, even if Nero was a skinny twelve and not really much to look at.

They were his now, not Hojo’s. 

Rosso was almost a figure head in herself, girlish curves just starting to form. Proof that women could survive the process despite Hojo’s claims that it couldn’t. 

A nest of bees, Tseng had told him, looking frustrated. 

But he had to, he couldn’t just leave them there. 

Had to.


End file.
